The BVRLA is the trade body for the vehicle rental and leasing sector.By consulting with government and maintaining industry standards, we help our members deliver safe, sustainable and affordable road transport to millions of consumers and businesses.

The BVRLA has produced a set of Position Papers to provide an at-a-glance overview of the association’s view and desired intentions on a range of priority issues including Air Quality, Motor Finance, Taxation and Vehicle Terrorism.

These one-page documents contain a brief summary of the issue and make clear what we are asking of policymakers on behalf of the sector.

They also include ‘Top 5 key messages’ and some suggestions of how members can help to support our activities as we work to protect the interests of the vehicle rental and leasing sectors.

The BVRLA has written to the Chancellor ahead of the Spring Statement to make clear how working with the fleet sector to develop a fair and well-signposted Company Car Tax regime can encourage drivers to choose greener, cleaner vehicles.

With a more progressive tax environment, the BVRLA believes that the vehicle leasing sector – the UK’s largest source of new car registrations - could revive the electric vehicle market and reverse the recent increase in average new car CO2 emissions.

The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association is disappointed that commercial vehicle operators have not been given enough time to prepare for the early introduction of the Central London Low Ultra Low Emission Zone on 8 April 2019.

“The ULEZ will now come into effect seventeen months earlier than originally planned and many commercial fleet operators will face a big financial challenge in trying to upgrade their vehicles ahead of schedule.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is tightening up its rules, replacing the current Approved Persons Regime with the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SM&CR). The regime has already been operating in the banking sector for some time and will next year extend to the financial services sector.

This change will affect all FCA-regulated firms including non-UK firms with permission to carry out regulated activities in the UK, and it will focus on three key areas:

Oxford’s City and County Councils have announced their intention to introduce a Zero Emission Zone in the city by 2020, which will prevent all petrol and diesel vehicles from entering parts of the city centre.

Under the proposals, only electric vehicles will be permitted within the Zone from 2020, and plans include expanding the zone to include the entire city centre from 2035.

Birmingham City Council is looking for business input as it undertakes a feasibility study exploring the best ways to address air quality. It is particularly interested in the views of local businesses that rely on logistics and whether they have the potential to reduce the associated emissions from this. Birmingham is canvassing opinions via an online survey, which closes on 9th October and can be found here.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has this week published the outcome of a consultation which included a question about ‘clocking’.

The consultation, titled ‘introducing roadworthiness testing for fast tractors used for haulage and other technical changes to vehicle testing legislation’ did not contain specific proposals to address odometer fraud (clocking) but sought stakeholders’ views on the issue.